Save on Holiday Decorations

The holidays have come and gone. You’re looking around thinking some of your stuff could use a little “updating” or some fresh new items for next Christmas. I’m just like you. Our family decided we should get a new tree. I know, I know. A fake tree! How can you have a toxic item like that in your home after you’ve spent so much time making your own cleaning products for your home to make it less toxic! Honestly, we’ve had the tree for more years than I can remember. My husband inherited it I think. I’ve been with him since 2004 and he had it well before I ever came around. It’s time for a new one and we’re on a budget, so buying a real tree every year is not in our budget. Unfortunately, yes, they give off toxins, but so do my area rugs and quite a few other things. I try to LIMIT the toxins in our life, but they’re everywhere. I am only one woman! Forgive me. It’s a fake tree for our family.

My husband isn’t one to purchase this kind of item online, so my expertise was thrown out the window. We had to dive into the sales flyers papering our home for this one. Around Long Island, we’ve got a great store called Harrow’s. In the summer, it sells pool stuff. In the winter, it sells holiday decorations, wrapping paper and artificial trees. Tons of them. You’ve never seen so many……and just every decoration you can imagine, including those inflatables you see all over the place these days. Turn the motor on and there’s the santa large as life on your front lawn. In our case, the neighbors’ fronts lawns. I’m not big on the decorations outside….I know, I’m such a scrooge, right? I just prefer, if I’m going to spend the money on decorations, they’re going INSIDE where I can appreciate and enjoy them! The neighbors can get their own holiday cheer!

The only part of the “artificial tree” shopping I really pushed for was getting a pre-lit tree. You know the ones-they have the fiber optic lights in them already. No need to string lights anymore (which is a time and money saver). However, my husband and I differ on our tastes. He likes all those different colored lights, I like them all white. He loves different colored Christmas balls all over the tree, I like them to all be blue. It’s amazing we’re together sometimes. Our tastes are so different! I’m not a stickler for it, I’ll just be happy to have a new tree with lights already on it, so we don’t have to waste time putting the lights on it, then taking them off. BORING. Christmas is about putting the decorations on. Opening up the special ones, having the kids help put them on the tree…..the experience. Not cursing over stringing lights on the tree!

Off my husband went to Harrow’s. Looked for a tree at one of the stores, found a great one, but it was too tall…..9 feet. Can’t do it. It was priced during the season for $450.00, after the season: $32.50. Not even kidding. And that’s the point of my long-winded, boring story! If you need decorations, wrapping paper or a new artificial tree – WAIT until this week, perhaps the next couple of weeks. Find a store like Harrow’s if you have one that deals in just selling holiday stuff for the winter season, pool stuff for the summer season. They want to get rid of the stock they have, move it out and be done with it. Next season will bring new kinds of trends, which means all of this product has got to go! Quickly.

As always, do your research. Know what you want. Head out with a plan and a budget. Don’t just buy because it’s on sale, buy it because it’s what you need or will need for next season. Who doesn’t need wrapping paper? But do you really need 5 Santa hats? I know I do for a photo shoot, but not everyone else will!

Staci is a Featured Author for New York Inexpensively. Staci is a born and raised Long Islander, married to a born and raised Long Islander, having kids and raising them…that’s right, on Long Island. They have always lived a “frugal life” and always within their means; now she shares all their great information with fellow Long Islanders at November Sunflower.